1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reset mechanism to be used in resetting a microprocessor, or the like, installed in an electric device.
2. Related Art
Nowadays there are a variety of electronic devices each having various functions. Such an electronic device has a microcomputer installed therein for controlling its numerous electrical circuits. The microcomputer, however, cannot work correctly when being supplied with incorrect signals or when something is wrong in an associated electrical circuit. It may be possible that such malfunctions are caused by certain surrounding factors.
To recover the microcomputer from such a defective condition, it is necessary that the microcomputer be made to stop working. For this purpose the microcomputer is equipped with a reset switch. Such a reset switch is designed to be used exclusively for resetting the microcomputer. The reset switch, however, is not used often, and therefore, providing the microcomputer with such an extra switch for exclusive use is undesirable from a perspective of manufacturing cost.
Hitherto, a variety of reset switches have been proposed, as for instance, follows: Japan Patent 06-76689(A) discloses a xe2x80x9creset switchxe2x80x9d; and Japan Patent 05-120952(A) discloses a xe2x80x9creset switch for electric equipmentxe2x80x9d. These reset switches are simple in structure as compared with switches which were used before, but these reset switches are still designed to be exclusively used for resetting a microcomputer.
In view of the above one object of the present invention is to provide a reset mechanism for resetting an electrical circuit or electronic device, such as a microcomputer, without necessity of providing the electronic device with an extra switch used exclusively for a purpose of resetting the microcomputer.
To attain this object according to the present invention, a reset mechanism for use in an electric device equipped with a microcomputer having a reset circuit associated therewith, is characterized in that an insulating housing of the electric device has a small through hole provided therein; a chassis of the electric device has a small through hole provided therein and in alignment with the small through hole of the insulating housing; and that a reset terminal of the reset circuit is placed behind the small through hole of the chassis of the electric device.
In place of the chassis of the electric device, a metal casing or mount of a selected part of the electric device may have a small through hole provided therein and in alignment with the small through hole of the insulating housing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for resetting an electric circuit or electronic device such as a microcomputer without recourse of a reset switch used exclusively for resetting the microcomputer.
To attain this object according to the present invention, a method of resetting an electric device equipped with a microcomputer having a reset circuit associated therewith, comprises: providing a small through hole in an insulating housing of the electric device; providing a small through hole in a chassis of the electric device so as to be in alignment with the small through hole of the insulating housing and also in alignment with a reset terminal of the reset circuit, which reset circuit is placed behind the small through hole of the chassis of the electric device; and inserting an electrically conductive rod in the small through holes in the insulating housing and the chassis of the electric device so as to touch the reset terminal, thereby making an electrical connection between the reset terminal and the chassis of the electric device.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of a reset mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in accompanying drawings.